


Subtlety Unnecessary

by raendown



Series: NaNoWriMo 2020 Drabbles [165]
Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:49:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21621247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raendown/pseuds/raendown
Summary: Sai has a question for Yamato and he learned how to phrase it from one of his books.
Relationships: Sai/Yamato | Tenzou
Series: NaNoWriMo 2020 Drabbles [165]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1533161
Comments: 20
Kudos: 113





	Subtlety Unnecessary

Having spent the first two decades of his life planning nearly every step he took, not planning for something so important felt almost like wearing someone else’s skin. The book had said that spontaneity was best, however, and so Sai had deliberately not allowed himself to think about this until he was already down by the river with his feet in the water. Captain Yamato lounged at his side looking nothing less than entirely relaxed. That much he was happy for; it wouldn’t do to spring this on the poor anxious man if he were already upset by something.

Most of what Sai knew about socializing had been learned from books and so far, of the friends he had made, he hadn’t lost any of them. Those were very good statistics. By those alone Sai suspected that he could trust most of what his books told him, although Dickless and Ugly had both told him on several occasions that he may have taken certain parts too literally.

This time he was sure that wasn’t the case. In the confusing matters of romance the books had said the correct path was to be straightforward and that was something in which he excelled.

“Captain Yamato, I have a question I would like to ask you,” he said.

“You know you don’t have to call me Captain anymore,” his friend pointed out with a smile. “Just my name will do.”

“My mistake. Yamato then, I would like to ask if you will have sex with me.”

“ _What_!?”

Sai blinked, unsettled by the massive eyes and shocked expression staring back at him. “I asked–”

“No, I heard you! I just, wow. That was, er, blunt.”

“I read in a book that being straightforward about these things is best to prevent misunderstandings.”

“Ah.” Yamato scratched at the back of his neck. “That makes more sense. And it’s good base logic. It’s just that most people try to be a little more discreet about that sort of thing.”

Well that was unfortunate. He’d been so sure that his books would not let him down this time. It wasn’t often that Sai experienced the sensation of awkwardness but he did now as doubt welled up inside him, enough so that he began unconsciously planning how best to tactfully retreat if it should become necessary. For all that he’d planned to _not_ plan the actual question he realized suddenly that he really should have made one for what to do in the event that his offer was rejected.

“Should I remove myself?” he asked carefully. To his deep relief Yamato shook his head.

“That isn’t necessary. Before I answer your question let me ask one of my own. Were you hoping for a physical relationship and nothing more or was that an offer to start a romantic partnership?”

Sai couldn’t help but take a moment for his own version of a besotted stare. He could always trust this man to speak kindly and try to word things in a way that would help him understand, to speak as plainly as possible without the confusion of hyperboles or metaphors. It was only one of many things about him that had captured Sai’s interest so thoroughly in the first place.

“My apologies for the misstep. I meant to ask if you would be interested in entering a romantic relationship with me.” Waiting for an answer was agony even though it took only seconds for Yamato to smile again.

“That would make me very happy,” he said.

Sai didn’t have the proper words to describe the feeling inside him just then but after much research, a little soul searching, and many conversations with his new partner he would someday discover that in this moment what he felt was joy, pure and unadulterated, for the first time in his life.


End file.
